Ford is going nowhere should Max Verstappen leave Red Bull

Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook insists that its presence in Formula 1 alongside Red Bull is not dependent on Max Verstappen staying with the team.

Rushbrook declared Ford’s confidence in Red Bull. The American automotive giant is aware that drivers will come and go. That being said, Ford, by nature, only has interest in being at the front of the F1 grid, a place where it and Red Bull will likely need to be to keep Verstappen’s services.

Max Verstappen not a condition for Ford Red Bull stay

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Anticipation continues to build for F1 2026 with the first test – a closed-doors visit to Barcelona from 26-30 January – only a matter of weeks away.

With sweeping changes made to the chassis and power unit regulations, arguably the biggest year on year shift which the sport has ever seen, the pecking order could be turned on its head.

Verstappen and Red Bull will look to defend its position at the front of the grid, Verstappen having won six of the final nine grands prix in 2025. He fell just two points short of snatching a fifth consecutive World Championship in what would have been the ultimate comeback story.

But, focus now turns to F1 2026, with Red Bull a team attracting particularly intense attention. Their trophy-laden Honda alliance has ended. From now on, Red Bull is also an F1 engine manufacturer, working in partnership with Ford.

The task at hand therefore steps up a notch as the two companies collaborate on their first F1 engine.

On top of that challenge, it is widely accepted that the Red Bull and Ford will need to be a front-running alliance in 2026 to avoid facing pressure to keep Verstappen.

Yet, the Dutchman’s continued presence at Red Bull is not required for Ford to continue its Red Bull ties.

“He is a generational talent,” Rushbrook said of Verstappen when speaking with Autosport.

“To have a champion in the car with a Red Bull Ford power unit is important, right? We believe in the team, we believe in the power unit, and we believe in the people that are designing the car.

“But at the end of the day, it comes down to the driver to get every single ounce out of it. And we believe Max is a champion.

“Max is an important part, but it’s not to the point where we would say, ‘Oh, if he’s gone from the team, we are too’. No, we know that we have confidence in the team and that we’ll get other drivers in the future.”

Rushbrook declared that for Ford, racing instincts say that “we want to win no matter what”, though he pointed out that “2026 is going to be a challenging year for everybody in the paddock” with such a significant overhaul to the regulations.

As mentioned above, rise to the challenge they must, if Verstappen is to stay, is the feeling in the room.

While Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, it was a performance-related exit clause within that deal which fuelled talk of a switch to Mercedes during the last summer.

“My comments are independent of Max,” Rushbrook stated. “We want to be on the track with the intention of winning.”

He added: “We want to be at the front of the grid no matter what. We know it’s a massive challenge with the all-new power unit, but that’s our intention. And if we’re not, we’re still committed to doing everything that we can to get to where we want to be.”

Verstappen has engaged with the Red Bull Ford engine project.

The Dutchman recently confirmed that he liked the “crisp” sound of the engine when he heard it fired up. Rushbrook announced that Verstappen has been no stranger to the crew at Milton Keynes.

“He has been through the facility several times,” Rushbrook said of Verstappen. “It’s great, I think, for the team to see his interest and to have him there.

“Showing that he cares matters, for sure. It’s great that he’s got that interest and at the same time he can get confidence in what the team is delivering for 2026.”

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Verstappen did not need the title win to turn heads in 2025. He was voted number one by both the team bosses, and his fellow drivers.

Red Bull’s former senior advisor and driver programme boss, Helmut Marko, was asked by PlanetF1.com’s Mat Coch whether 2025 was Verstappen’s best season, having dragged himself and Red Bull into the title fight.

Marko replied: “For sure, it is the most difficult one.

“We’ve have so many up and downs, but he delivered unbelievable races. The overtake in Imola first lap. The two races in Las Vegas [and] Brazil from the pits. He never gave up and he doesn’t make a mistake.

“It is like a Swiss watch. Within one tenth he does 20, 30 laps.”

Verstappen will have a new teammate at Red Bull for F1 2026, as Isack Hadjar steps up from Racing Bulls after an impressive rookie season.

Additional reporting by Mat Coch

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